Stirling Agricultural Centre is to become the new home for the premier sale of Charollais sheep, with the breed society expecting the move to mark a new era for the breed.
There is also to be a new timing.
United Auctions have been appointed as the new auctioneers with the Scottish premier sale to be held on Wednesday, July 16, at the company’s Stirling Mart.
Having previously been held at Lanark for 25 years, the sale has been brought forward from August to align better with breeders’ needs.
The Charollais is a terminal sire breed particularly noted for early lambing.
A July date will allow purchasers more time to take rams home and acclimatise them before they are turned out with the ewes.
The concentration on Stirling as a centre will be developed, with the introduction of two further sales.
These will take place on Friday, September 19, for male and female Charollais sheep and Saturday, November 15, for in-lamb females.
Jonathan Barber, chief executive of the British Charollais Sheep Society, said: “The move to Stirling represents a new era for us, in which we aim to create a strong central location in Scotland for Charollais, enabling our fellow breeders and commercial farmers in Scotland, northern England and further afield to buy high quality sheep.
“We’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with United Auctions for a long time, and Scottish breeders have enthusiastically supported the move.”
George Purves, sales manager and auctioneer at United Auctions, who is based at Stirling and facilitated the move, said: “We’re delighted to be conducting the premier sale of Charollais sheep.
“It will be the first sale in Scotland for elite lambs to be used on the pedigree sheep, and an opportunity for breeders to buy stud sheep at the right time,” he added.